Metal-tube-bending machine.



A. H. PLANTE.

METAL TUBE BENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 1113.25, 1911.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 1 @eww MY NQ A. H. PLANTE.

METAL TUBE BENDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED Mums, 1911.

X fw -WW M @o /|o L m MV1 n0 m m 1, waa@ A. H. PLANTB. METAL TUBEBBNDING MACHINE. PPLIUATION FILED MAB. 25, 1911.

1,016,771. Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT orFTCE. i

mann n. PLANT-n, or ATLANTA." esonera, A.al '.f.sre 1-ro1tTo -ATLATAMETAL BED COMPANY, F ATLANTA, GEORGILVA COBPORTIQQ mirnLTUnn-BENDINGMacnrmu;

l Specication of I-.etters Patent.;

`mantenuta mea much as, 1911.: seriar'no. eignet;

To all 'whom t may concern.'

' Be it-known that I, ALFRED H. PIANTE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State 5 of Georgia,have invented new and useful Improvements in Metal-Tube-Bending Ma--chines, cation. The present invention provides a machine particularly'designed for bending metal tubing, butwhich may employed for bendingmetal rods or bars -or material of-like nature.

In the manufacture of metal .bedsfrom tubingthe latterhas by. hand,which is a tediousfand somewhat expensive operation.-

' 1 f' A Qhepresent invention provides a machine the object of which isto admit ofthe metal of which the following is a'specifwithout 'crushingor disturbing thecross sectional outline of the tubing.

The invention provides a machine 'which' e predetermined result has beenattained.' 1'

The invention consists of the novelfeaf" tures, details of constructionand comb1nation of parts, which hereinafter will be more;`

particularly set forth, illustrated thel accompanying drawings, andpomted out in the a pended claims. l Y

Re erring to the. drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure1v a side view of a machine s eciallydesigned for attaining t-he objectso' this invention.l .2 is a top plan view. tion on the line m-w of Fig.2. Fi 4' is a. sectional detail on the line .y-go Fig. 2.

Fig; 5 is a detail view of Corresponding .and like cated in all thevviews of t the same referencer characters.

The machine embodies a framework*` 1 upon which the bending mechanism1s, mounted. A stand 2 is located at one sideV V of the framework andsupports the power transmitting'mechanism. shaft-3 ls-arrangedhorizontally and mounted invbearings off the framework 1' andjstand 2. A

drum 4 is loose uponthe shaft 3 andfhas a 5.5 half clutch 5 at one end.collar 6 is slidf* be advantageouslygenerally been shaped4 tubing beingbent into the' required shape being started, the operatingarts being;

`collar 18 fwhen -th'elatter is @shaft 12'- toward. the.' drive pulley.)13. The

Fig. 3 isv a cross sec-,-

one of the bending to the-stand2, saidI spring parts are referred tvo-inthe following descmpltion, and indi-' e diawings,'byy

and has avhal-fA clutch .7 .upon its vvinnergs'ide to engage'with thehalf clutch 54 and secure I the drum ofthe? shaftg. 8 `1s pivotedto 'abracket 39A attached vto or'O 'formm lpart-ofthe Yframework 1 and 'hasone en 1n engagement witlithe collar 6 and 'itsoppositeendextendinwithin convenient reachfof the operator. worm gear'10 is securedto the outer. end 'of lthe'shaft 3. and 65 meshesfwitha-wormf11- provided upon a longitudinal 'shaft v12, which ismounted -in'-at`the.upper Vend ofthe stand 2. A; dr1ve` pulley'fl. `loose .uponthelongitudinal shaft 12 and which' is adapted to.v be ve conicalf.-form.secured to the uponf theshaftq12 and is incontact" with theelhub of the drivepulley 13. I .Bell cranks 16 are pivotedftothe-collar 15and '4 their short arms` extend inwardlyf-to--engage afstop collar 17secured to-'thefshaft 12, vwhereas their frection of: `the .shaft .12 to'be engaged -by a movedQupon the collar v18 is approximately ofconicalform -forces th"e .long.- arms 'of thebell cranks 16. outwardly, therebycausing the collar 1 5- to move inwardly and force the drive pulley .13

lin en agement with the clutch-member '14, ywhere y theshaft 12 andshaft 3 areeaupsedt90 to rotate. The,vv 'collar' 18 is engaged. 'bymeansof an arm 19 fastened to an endof a rod 20 arrangedparallel'withthefshaft 12 and mounted in bearings provided upon thestand V2. A spring 21 has one end connected .595 with the rod 20 anditsopposite end secured being ofthe `contractile type and serving tovhold the rod 20- atfthe vlimitfof, its movement one di-'- rection. -vrock shaft 22v is'ymounted inlOO bearings'of the framework 1 -andjstand2 and has an arm 23 whichjis` connected by f means of awith Itherod' 20.1- The .rock shaft' 22 has an operatingh'andle 25- within convenientreach of theoperator. f A latch' 26 haspivotal connection with the rod20-v and isvadapted to enga e'a part ofthe stand 2 .soas to hold the r'o20 when' moved to theleft'to throw the drive pulleyin y A shlpper leverlv a portion-'of its 'I 1s made flaring to form a clutch member,

long armsextend approximatel'yfin the dir-a380 lfand `whenmovedinwardupon-the shaft 112585 I rshort rod to which a long rod 28 isconggnected, the rod 28 having pivotal connection with ione member of1an elbow lever 2S), theA :other member of said elbow lever having .10i

afbet portion 30 extending into the path "offene of' the, bending armsto be engaged thereby and tripped when the required bendingfoperationhas been effected.

[Slidesf31 arev mounted uponthegframew0rk',.each .being provided with adie 32 aboutjwhichtheitube or other material is bent. Thefslides'31 areyadjustable so as to be spaced apart a greater or less distance and aremovedby means of set screws 33, which `have"the'ir 'end portionsoppositely 'threaded--tolfengage rightV and left handthreadedportionsgof the slides 31. The dies 32'aresupported -by means ofthe slides 31 and'may-be of any shape to suit the required bend.V Theedges of the dies are grooved to prevent lateral displacement of thework. Thedies have faces at different distances from the center, certainof the faces. being curvedV and other' faces straight. lVork holders4are employed in connection with the dies to securethe material andwhile the construction of the work holders may vary according to thenatureof the material to obtain the best'resifilts'it is preferred toconstruct each of the work holders of a frame 34 0f substuitially Uformand to provide clamp blocks 35 0f wedge form, the work holders beingsecured to opposite sides of thev dies and ftheiwedge blocks 35 beingadapted to 'be forced between the members of the work holder. Theinnerfaces of the wedge blocks 35 are grooved to conform to the tube orother material to be bent.

vlili The bending arms 36 are kpivotally mounted upon the slides 31concentric with the dies 32 and are supplied with set screws 37 foradjusting dies 38 which are placed to act in opposition to the dies 32so that the tube or other material is confined between the two dies.`The dies 38 are elongated or consist of bars and are adapted to engage astraight portion of the tube, rod or bar to insure bending thereofwithout crushing or distorting the outline of the work in the eventofthe same consisting of a tube. A

eable-39-V attached .to each of the bending armsfB and-v.passes around aguide pulley 40.andf is'jattached to the drum 4 so as to windfthereon.The cables 39 wind reversely on the drum]4, thereby drawing the outerends of the'bending arms136 outwardly and inwardlyso as to carry fthedies 38 about `the dies32 to bendthe tube 41 or'like mate- `rial aboutthe said'dies 32.

j -I'nthe operati@v ofthe y'machine the Slides 31 having the selecteddies 32 attac-hed thereto are properly adjusted to bring the dies 32 tothe required distance apart. The bending arms 3G are moved to occupy aposition about parallel with a prolongation ot the shaft 3, after whichthe tube 41 or like article is placed in position and secured by meansof the work holders. are now placed upon the work and the set screws 37adjusted so as to closely confine f the tube 41 or work between the twodies.

The shaft 22 is turned by means of the handle 25 to move the rod 20 tothrow the drive pulley 13 in clutched engagement with the shaft 12,whereby the shaft-3 is caused to'rotate and after the inertia of theparts has been overcome the lever 8 is operated to move the collar 6into clutched engage mentwith the drum 4, which latter rotating with theshaft 3 winds the cables 39 thereon and draws the outer ends of thebending arms 36 outwardly and inwardly, thereby bending opposite endportions of the tube 41 about the dies 32. lVhen the tube has been bentto the required position one of the bending arms comes in eontact'withthe `bent end of the lever 29 and trips the same,

thereby releasing the latch 26, which previously engaged a part of thestand 2 upon movement of the rod 20 to throw the drive pulley intoclutched engagement, thereby releasing the rod 20 and permitting thespring 21 to return the same to normal position, whereby the drivepulley is automatically disconnected from the shaft 12 and the operationof the machine stopped. The work is now removed from the machine, afterwhich the bending arms are restored .to their first position so that thenext tube,

rod` or bar to be bent may be placed in sition for a repetition of theoperation just described.

- Abrake arm 42 is attached to the rod 20 andis normally held inengagement with the clutch member 14 so as to prevent rotation of theshaft 12 when the drive pulley t1)3 is disengaged from the said clutchmem- From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation willbe readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of theinvention, together with the device which l now consider to be theembodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shownis merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desiredas are within the scope of the claims appended v hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. Ina machine of the character described,

The dies 3S the combination of bending mechanism,I

means for transmitting power to the bending mechanism including a shaft,a secondi clutch member secured to said second shaft,`

a rod, connecting means between the rod and second shaft for throwingthe loose pulley into clutched engagement with said second shaft,meansfor moving the rod in onedirection to' hold the loose pulley out of4clutched engagement with said second shaft, a latch for holding the rodwhen moved to throw the loose pulley into clutched engagement with saidsecond shaft, and a trip mechanism actuated by the bending mechanism toeffect releaseof thel rod.

v 2. In a machine ofthe character described, the combination of bendingmechanism, power transmitting means including a shaft, a second shaftconnected with the first mentioned shaft, a loose pulley mounted uponthe second shaft and having a clutch member, a companion clutch membersecured t-o the second shaft, a rod, connecting means between said rodand loose pulley for moving the latter into engagement with the clutchmember secured to the second shaft, means for moving the rod inonedirection to hold the loose pulley out of clutched engagement, e meansfor securing the rod when moved in an opposite direction to throw theloose pulley into clutched engagement, operating means for'moving thesaid rod, and a trip mechanism actuated by the bending mechanism foreffecting release of the rod to permit of the loose pulley automaticallyfreeing itself from the clutch member secured tothe said second shaft.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of bendingmechanism, a power transmitting shaft, a second shaft connected with thepower transmitting shaft, a

loose pulley mounted upon the second shaft and providedfi with a `clutchmember, a companion clutch member secured to said second shaft, alongitudinally movable rod,

connecting means between the rod and loose pulley for throwing4'the.latter into engage-4 ment with the clutch member secured to thesecond shaft, a brake member carried` by said rod and normally enga gthe said companion 'clutch member w en the loose ulley is freedtherefrom, means for yieldmgly moving the said rod in one direction,

means for moving the rod in the opposite direction to release' the brakeand to throw the loose pulley into clutched enga ement with said secondshaft, means or securing the said rod when moved into the last mentionedposition, and a release mechanism adapted to be actuated. by thebending" mechanism for' freeing said rod from the holding means.

4;. In a machine of the character described, the vcombination of abending mechanism, operating means therefor including a shaft, a pulleylooseupon'sai'd shaft and having a clutch member, a companion clutchmember secured to the shaft, a collar loose uponthe shaft, bell crankspivoted to said collar,'a second collar adapted to engage correspondingmembers of the bell cranks, a longitudinally movable rod,- connectingmeans between said rod and the second collar,y means normally tending tomove the rod in. one direction, meansV or moving the rod in the oppositedirection for throwing the loose pulley into clutched engagement, meansfor holding said rod in the last mentioned position, and a tri mechanismadapted to be actuated by the enclin mechanism for effecting release ofthe rod or throwing the loose pulley out of clutched engagement.

5. In a machine of the character described,

lthe combination of bending mechanism, a

power transmitting shaft including a manually operable clutch, a secondshaft con- "nected with the power transmitting shaft,

a loose pulley mounted upon the second shaft and having' a clutchmember, a-

companion .clutch member secured to the second shaft, a longitudinallymovable rod,

connecting means between'said rod and loosepulley'for throwing thelatter into clutched enga ement with said companion clutch mem er, abrake member mounted upon said rod and adapted to engage thesaidycompanion clutch member, means for yieldingly moving the rod -inone direction, means for moving'said rod in an opposite direction to 4throw the loose pulley into clutched 'engagement, means for securin therod in the 'last mentioned position, an a trip mechanism for releasingthe holdin means. l Y

In testimonyrwhereo I aiiix my signature in presence'of two witnesses.

ALFRED H. PLANTE.-

Witnesses: l

' ,E. B. FINcHn'R, I

E. S. Amns'man.

